City News & Updates

Fire Chief Bayouth Appointed Emergency Management Professor at Arkansas State

Post Date:02/02/2018 12:00 PM

After 29 years in firefighting, Ames Fire Chief Shawn Bayouth will leave the Ames Fire Department on April 2 to join the faculty of Arkansas State University in Jonesboro, Ark. Bayouth has been named Assistant Professor of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management. In his new position, Bayouth will teach several classes, advise students, and serve as department chair.

“Making the decision to leave the City of Ames has been incredibly difficult, but I could not pass up the opportunity to educate others in the field of emergency services,” Bayouth said. “Teaching is truly a passion for me, and I’m excited for this next challenge.”

Bayouth began working in the fire service in 1989. He was promoted to a Chief Officer in 2000, and served as an Assistant Chief, Battalion Chief, and Deputy Chief for departments in Iowa and Colorado. He joined the Ames Fire Department in 2007, and has served as the Fire Chief since 2012.

“During his tenure as Fire Chief, Shawn expanded the staffing levels of the department, increased the quality of in-house training, and played a crucial role in advising the City Council as they made improvements to our various building and rental codes,” said City Manager Steve Schainker. “Shawn’s efforts to ensure the department more accurately reflects the diverse community we serve will continue to shape Ames Fire long after his departure. We wish him well in this new chapter of his professional career.”

Bayouth holds a doctorate degree in industrial technology from Iowa State University, a master’s degree in human resource development from Indiana State University, a bachelor’s degree in fire administration and management from Western Illinois University, and an associate’s degree in fire administration from Johnson County Community College in Kansas. His dissertation research involved examining firefighter decision-making in virtual reality environments.

Bayouth is a nationally certified paramedic, a Fire Officer IV, a 2006 graduate of the Executive Fire Officer Program at the National Fire Academy in Emmitsburg, Md., a 2014 graduate of Texas A&M's Fire Service Chief Executive Officer, and was recently awarded his third re-designation (2006-2018) as a "Chief Fire Officer" through the Center for Public Safety Excellence.